DWCS Season 9: Week 9 Preview & Predictions
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Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 9 is here, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Ten hungry prospects will step into the cage, all fighting for that life-changing UFC contract.
Headlining the night is a can’t-miss Flyweight scrap between TUF 33 veteran Imanol Rodriguez and Roque Junior. Check out the full lineup and our predictions for an explosive Week 9 of DWCS:
How to Watch
- 📅 Date: Tuesday, October 7
- 🕑 Start Time: 5:00 PM PT / 8:00 PM ET
- 📍 Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas, Nevada
- 📺 How to Watch: ESPN+
Full Match Card for Week 9
- Featured Lightweight Bout: Lucas Caldas (6-1) vs. Magomed Zaynukov (7-0)
- Bantamweight Bout: Adrian Luna Martinetti (16-1) vs. Mark Vologdin (12-3-1)
- Flyweight Bout: Imanol Rodriguez (5-0) vs. Roque Junior (10-2)
- Middleweight Bout: Donavon Hedrick (6-0) vs. Luis Felipe Dias (15-5)
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Rafael Pergentino (5-0) vs. Luke Fernandez (5-0)
Card Predictions for Contender Series Week 9:
Imanol Rodriguez vs. Roque Junior
The Flyweight division is known for its high-impact, fast-paced fights, and this one will be no different. This one will be Mexico vs. Brazil and is a highly anticipated bout between two extremely young and highly regarded prospects. This may be the most evenly matched fight of the night.
Fans may remember Rodriguez from TUF 33, where he lost a split decision to eventual winner Joseph Morales. The 25-year-old knockout artist boasts a perfect record, with all five wins coming via first-round finishes, four by KO and one by submission.
Daniel Cormier has highly praised him during his time on TUF. Now, he trains at his upstart gym, where he will continue to work on his grappling game to blend in with his striking talents.
Junior, also 25, brings significantly more fight experience. A two-time regional champion, most of his wins have come by KO/TKO, with only two decision losses. He enters with a three-fight winning streak, all by way of finish.
The Brazilian is a finisher, with all but one of his victories coming by stoppage, all within the first two rounds. He has struggled in fights that go the distance, holding a 1-2 record in decisions.
This matchup promises a striking showdown between two fighters searching for a knockout. Regardless, this will be an extremely competitive fight and will be especially volatile in the early stages.
Predictions:
- Jake: Imanol Rodriguez
- Rags: Imanol Rodriguez
Adrian Luna Martinetti vs. Mark Vologdin
Regional bantamweight champions square off in a battle of Russia vs. Ecuador. Each fighter has extensive professional experience and has found lots of success in their respective regions. Now the best prospects in the world square off with a contract on the line.
Martinetti, 30, fights out of Ecuador and has a versatile skill set. He is currently on a 14-fight win streak, finishing 10 of those wins via KO or submission, six in the first round. He is a two-time UWC Bantamweight Champion, successfully defending the belt twice during his first reign.
His most recent victory came against a fighter making their pro debut on short notice. Martinetti’s only loss came in a decision back in 2017.
Vologdin, 25, comes in after a second successful regional title defense. The Russian fighter has 10 finishes, six in the first round. He is also riding a seven-fight win streak, with his last five victories all coming by finishes.
Mark has not lost a fight since 2021, and since then has shown tremendous growth in his skillset.
This fight will be a war for as long as it lasts. This one could go longer as both men have tasted defeat and will not want to do so on this stage. What will be seen for sure is high-level fighting from two regional champions who are willing to fight wherever the fight takes them.
This is a can’t-miss fight on a stacked card.
Predictions:
- Jake: Adrian Luna Martinetti
- Rags: Mark Vologdin
Rafael Pergentino vs. Luke Fernandez
This clash features two undefeated light heavyweights with five wins apiece. Both men are finishers with grappling skillsets that have caused fits for the regional division. They will each look for the opportunity to join the UFC’s ranks at 205 pounds in their chase for gold with Alex Pereira at the top.
Pergentino, who has fought exclusively at heavyweight throughout his career, captured a regional heavyweight title in his last bout. So, this will be the Brazilian’s first fight at 205 lbs, which is worth noting. Despite that, he has finished every opponent so far, with only one fight extending into the second round.
Fernandez, 30, is early in his career but already boasts two successful title defenses. An elite grappler, he relies on his collegiate wrestling base to dominate opponents. He has competed in CFFC throughout his amateur career, a high-quality regional promotion. In addition to that, he has grappled on multiple cards against established veterans like Eryk Anders and Phil Hawes, winning both matches.
This is a match with lots of question marks, as both competitors have been dominant so far in their careers. The younger Brazilian will also need to beat the scale for the first time. Despite that, this should be an extremely fun bout where someone’s O has to go.
Expect this one to be very interesting for the brief time that it will last.
Predictions:
- Jake: Luke Fernandez
- Rags: Luke Fernandez
Lucas Caldas vs. Magomed Zaynukov
Another Brazilian graces this card in a battle between Brazil and Russia. This one goes down in the lightweight division with two warriors looking to establish themselves in the UFC’s deepest division.
This one hosts two knockout artists with a combined 11 knockouts between the two. For both fighters, this is their toughest opposition yet, and it will be an intriguing fight to watch.
Caldas, 29, has finished all his victories via KO/TKO, five in the first round. His only loss came by DQ due to illegal stomps. This fight takes place at lightweight, his usual weight class, though his most recent bout was rescheduled at welterweight.
Lucas is a Muay Thai practitioner and is a violent fighter. All of his fights look the same as he moves forward and looks to damage his opponent.
Zaynukov, from Dagestan, has high-level grappling credentials but primarily comes from a Muay Thai background. His last two wins in the UAE Warriors came via decision, but he started his career with five straight KO/TKO victories.
He appears to have a strong strength of schedule, but is he ready for this level of competition? Zaynukov will be looking to prove that he certainly is.
This fight will be extremely entertaining as both men will be looking to put a stamp on the victory. With the power they both hold and the diversity of strikes they throw, this will be fun to watch. They both also seem to have some grappling in their back pocket, which could make this matchup intriguing.
Expect this one to potentially be Caldas’ new career-longest fight.
Predictions:
- Jake: Magomed Zaynukov
- Rags: Magomed Zaynukov
Donavon Hedrick vs. Luis Felipe Dias
This fight has been a messy booking since its inception. Originally, Jimmy Pace Jr. was set to face Juan Andres Cabrera at middleweight. Dias stepped in on short notice to replace Cabrera.
Then Hedrick accepted an even shorter notice fight to replace Jimmy Pace Jr. A bout initially scheduled at middleweight gradually shifted into a completely new fight, at a welterweight.
Hedrick, 28, now ends up in an intriguing position as he has finished all his opponents in the first round and is looking to make his way into the UFC. This will be only his second fight at welterweight, having previously competed at middleweight and a 175 lb catchweight.
The step up in competition will be significant in this fight. Either way, the Florida native has beaten everyone put in front of him and will be looking for another highlight victory.
Dias, 30, is a former regional welterweight champion in two different promotions. He was scheduled to fight on Week 8 but has not competed since 2023. Dias has multiple finishes on his record, demonstrating both submission skills and knockout power, though he has struggled outside of Brazil. Despite this, Dias will look to utilize this experience to his advantage.
This fight is intriguing as it holds two fights, with two major question marks. One with a strength of schedule and the other with a lack of activity. Who comes out on top is the question on the docket, and it will be interesting as this fight could see many variations.
What is known is that Hedrick has massive power, and Dias has showcased his skills more, but has shown flaws in the past.
Predictions:
- Jake: Donavon Hedrick
- Rags: Donavon Hedrick
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